“It’s one of the goals of this season”: Sinner targets return to world No. 1 after Australian Open

Two-time defending Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner is preparing for his campaign at the first major of the year, aiming to extend his positive streak of 14 consecutive wins at Melbourne Park. The world No. 2 arrives without any prior tournaments, having played only an exhibition match against his biggest rival, Carlos Alcaraz, in South Korea a few days ago.

The four-time major champion arrives as one of the favourites for the first Grand Slam of the season, with conditions that are especially suitable for him. As in previous years, he chose not to play any warm-up tournaments, starting his season directly at the Australian Open. “It’s great, you know, to start the season here, in this place,” he said in an interview with 9 News Melbourne. “There is a lot of enthusiasm. You know, Australians, they love sport — not only tennis, but also Australian football, and then cricket and all that stuff. So it’s great to be part of this sporting movement.”

Despite the lack of competitive matches, Sinner expects to find his rhythm quickly once the tournament begins. “Of course, the Australian Open is one of the four biggest tournaments we have throughout the whole year,” the two-time defending champion said. “You start the season having some doubts, which is normal, but at the same time there’s also a lot of confidence because of certain results I’ve had in the past. So I’m looking forward to it, having a great connection with the crowd, and then we’ll see how it goes.”

The Italian is not particularly concerned about the lack of competitive matches at the start of the year — unlike most players on Tour, who will arrive having played one or two warm-up events during the Australian swing. “I know that I practised very well to be here. The off-season was great. Physically, I feel good. So let’s see what’s coming,” Sinner commented. “You start the season having some doubts, which is normal, but at the same time there’s also a lot of confidence because of certain results I’ve had in the past. So I’m looking forward to it.”

Unlike the previous edition — when he arrived as world No. 1 — this time Sinner enters the Australian Open as world No. 2, behind Alcaraz, who overtook him late in the season following his campaign at the ATP Finals. Although Sinner won the title, the points advantage accumulated by the Spaniard allowed him to claim the top spot in the rankings to finish the season.

Sinner is aiming to recover the No. 1 ranking, one of his main goals for this year, although it will not be possible for now — even if he wins the Australian Open — considering that he cannot earn points, while Alcaraz is only defending quarterfinal points, a difference large enough for the Spaniard to leave Australia still at the top of the rankings regardless of the result.

Even so, Sinner will have a strong opportunity in the following three months, during which he does not defend points after the suspension in 2025, and he is already targeting a return to the top of the rankings. “It’s one of the goals of this season. It’s going to be very difficult to get back there, but I’m happy to put myself in the game again,” said the 24-year-old Italian. “I live day by day. There’s one opponent at a time, and I just try to put myself in a good position to do it again. If it works, amazing. If not, I tried my best. There’s not so much we can control about winning or losing. The only thing we can control is giving 100 percent.”

Another topic he addressed was his rivalry with Alcaraz and the possibility of another clash, this time in Melbourne. They have already faced each other in the finals of the last three majors, with victories for Alcaraz at Roland Garros and the US Open, while Sinner took revenge at Wimbledon. “Of course you think about it, but in another way, if I want to play against Carlos — if he’s ranked one and I’m two — the only way we meet is in the final,” he said. “But any rivalry came into question when they arrived together on the same private jet on Sunday. They had just been going head-to-head in an exhibition match in South Korea. It’s something that motivates me, and I’m happy to be part of it.”